1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to miniature, unmanned aircraft, and more particularly to construction of such an aircraft enabling ready assembly and disassembly and shipping by commercial couriers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Miniature, unmanned aircraft are typically of cruciform configuration when assembled, and are disassembled into two elongate principal components from time to time for storage, transport, and other purposes. It is known to place each of the two components (i.e., wing and fuselage) into separate shipping boxes, with minor components projecting from the fuselage such as landing gear and vertical and horizontal stabilizers removed and packed, so that the disassembled aircraft may be shipped by commercial couriers, particularly those offering overnight transport of freight throughout the United States.
Remotely controlled miniature, unmanned aircraft are very useful in aerial data collection and transmission. It is possible to increase versatility of an airframe used in data collection and transmission when individual data handling devices, such as digital cameras, chemical xe2x80x9csniffersxe2x80x9d for identifying airborne chemicals, sensors for sensing magnetic fields or radioactivity, or data transfer devices such as radio frequency receivers and transmitters, are provided as readily replaceable modules. The great versatility of such aircraft may lead to their being sent on different missions to far flung destinations throughout the country and to far parts of the globe, even to the point of being shipped overnight, on short notice.
An aircraft having data handling capabilities may be of fairly great size, for example having a wingspan on the order of seven or eight feet, while being limited in gross weight to fifty-five pounds. Particularly addressing civilian uses in the United States, it is highly desirable to have an unmanned aircraft which is light enough to avoid the fifty-five pound limit which is a threshold above which severe restrictions on use of an aircraft are imposed. It is a great economic and practical advantage to remain free of such requirements. Dimensions and weight of such aircraft present problems for overnight shipping. Complexity of the aircraft and specialized knowledge required to operate the aircraft may require that highly trained, qualified personnel accompany the aircraft to its next mission to assure proper preparation and operation. Hence the aircraft, when broken down into constituent components and packed for shipment, must be compatible with air freight couriers and other modes of expedited shipping.
There exists a need for an aircraft which has interchangeable data handling sensors or transmission capability or both, which remains within the fifty-five pound limitation for avoiding licensing requirements, and which can be readily disassembled and reassembled and shipped by overnight couriers throughout the United States.
The present invention provides a miniature, unmanned aircraft capable of gathering aerial imagery or transferring data or both, which aircraft can be disassembled readily and packed into three shipping containers for overnight shipping.
Two relatively large containers respectively house the wing and the fuselage. Certain small components which project from the fuselage, such as the horizontal stabilizer and landing gear, may be removed from the fuselage and are packed in either of the two large containers, or alternatively, in a third container.
A data handling module is packed in a third container. Data handling modules include an aerodynamic housing which is attached to and which complements the fuselage when the aircraft is assembled. Each module includes data handling apparatus and supporting hardware in addition to the housing. Data handling apparatus includes sensors and data transmitting apparatus. Examples of sensors include black and white and color video cameras, still frame cameras, multispectral instruments for obtaining multispectral scans, radioactivity sensors, magnetometers, and others. Data handling modules can be of different configurations and dimensions, and hence are typically packaged within their own containers. Although they are capable of being shipped by a commercial overnight shipper, packed modules fall within airline guidelines for checked luggage. This is useful when an aircraft must be accompanied by operating personnel traveling to a distant site of use. The aircraft can thus be shipped to most destinations throughout the United States within twenty-four hours on short notice.
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to enable disassembling and packing of a miniature, unmanned aircraft capable of handling data, and shipping the packed components by commercial overnight couriers and optionally, one component as checked luggage aboard a commercial airline.
It is another object of the invention to enable a miniature, unmanned aircraft capable of handling data to be shipped to most destinations throughout the United States within twenty-four hours on short notice.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.